1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a rotary printing press, and more particularly to a network-type synchronous system for rotary printing presses where a driving means of a printing section and the driven parts thereof are combined into a block, a plurality of which are combined into a set, and control is exercised to cause each of several sets to make synchronous rotation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A synchronous control system for rotary printing presses of a conventional type in which the rotary printing press is operated by synchronously operating a plurality of driving means is known by Japanese Published, Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei-6(1994)-47905, for example.
Disclosed in Japanese Published, Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei-6(1994)-47905 is a synchronous control system for rotary printing presses in which a group of printing stations (printing units), each formed by connecting a plurality of discrete driving sections to drive control devices via a high-speed buss system, are connected via at least a data bus to a folding unit for determining a positional reference for the printing stations, and a master system that is a control/data processing unit for exercising control of target values among the printing station groups and to the folding unit, that is, a synchronous control system for rotary printing presses that is separated into a higher-order master system and a plurality of autonomous printing station groups, as disclosed in the 33 lines of the 6th column of Published, Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei-6(1994)-47905.
In other words, the aforementioned conventional type of synchronous control system for rotary printing presses has a set configuration in which each printing station group is placed under a positional reference determined by an appropriate folding unit, so that control of printing station group target values is exercised among the printing station groups and to the folding unit via a single master system.
Having a fixed set configuration in which each printing station group is placed under a positional reference determined by an appropriate folding unit, however, the aforementioned conventional type of synchronous control system for rotary printing presses cannot change the set configuration to cope with an increase in pages of printed matter, or a breakdown in an individual printing station, leading to a failure in printing operation. Furthermore, the conventional type of synchronous control system for rotary printing presses, which is designed to exercise control of target values for printing station groups via a single master system, could not exert the target-value control among printing station groups if the higher-order master system fails. This could also lead to a failure in printing operation.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a network-type synchronous control system for rotary printing presses with such a high degree of flexibility as to ensure a flexible response to the circumstances by making it possible for the rotary press to continue printing to cope with an increase in pages of printed matter or a breakdown of an individual printing station by changing the set configuration of the rotary press and carry out the synchronous control of each driving means, or in a failure of a master control section by using another master control section.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a master value setting section for setting a master phase and a master speed for synchronous control of each set.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a slave control section suitable for synchronous control of a printing unit driving means.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a loop-shaped network line that can offer a detour in a failure of part of the network line.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a control message and the message configuration thereof for designating the control range of rotary press sets organized by a processing section and a control message and the message configuration thereof of master information values, such as a master phase and a master speed, for carrying out the synchronous control of each set.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide the message configuration of a response message of a slave control section replying the response message.
In disclosed embodiments, the network-type synchronous control system for rotary printing presses in which driving means and the driven parts thereof of a printing section P are combined into a block, and a plurality of blocks combined into a set; several sets being controlled so that each set is caused to rotate in synchronism with each other, comprises a master control sections 1 and 2 that can individually control each of the sets organized in arbitrary combinations, slave control sections 3 for controlling each block in the set by receiving control information from the master control sections 1 and 2, and a network line 5 for connecting the master control sections 1 and 2 to each of the slave control sections 3; the master control sections 1 and 2 comprising a processing section, an input operation section for entering information, a master value setting section for setting a master phase and a master speed, and a master network connecting section.